Re: what excess fibrin is---and now why this is so important---

[Guest guest]

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040223/

" Every once in a while, however, the whole feverish production doesn't shut down

on cue. Sometimes the problem is a genetic predisposition; other times something

like smoking or high blood pressure keeps the process going. In any event,

inflammation becomes chronic rather than transitory. When that occurs, the body

turns on itself — like an ornery child who can't resist picking a scab — with

aftereffects that seem to underlie a wide variety of diseases. "

Read more:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,993419,00.html#ixzz0aRAUruSI

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> > > > Hypercoagulability

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> > > > NEWS, believes in the health concerns generated by hypercoagulability

states in patients. Once you have read the following article and thought about

your own condition, entertain the idea that you too MAY be suffering from a

coagulation problem. At NEWS, we test for this condition through the Hemex

Laboratories, directed by Berg. Please call our office for an appointment

and we will be glad to discuss this possibility with you.

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> > > > Hypercoagulability is the increased likely-hood of blood to become

abnormally thick and thus increase the formation of fibrin-complexes in the

blood vessels.

> > > > Hypercoagulability causes a shift in haemostatic balance towards

pro-clotting factors. Most of us think of " clot formation " as the result of

hypercoagulability [this is a cross-linking of fibrin caused by a burst of

thrombin]...but more commonly the result is the deposition of fibrin [fibrinogen

is the precursor of fibrin], obstructing blood flow and causing local ischemia

[deficient blood flow] to involved areas.

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> > > > When tissues don't receive sufficient blood, the cells are starved for

oxygen and nutrients. Pain can result, as in headache or fibromyalgia. Many

chronic conditions such as attention deficit disorder, autism and schizophrenia,

as well as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, irritable bowel, endocrine

(hypothalamic-adrenal axis-related) sleep disorder, and the type of infertility

that manifests itself in repeated miscarriages (fetal wastage syndrome), are all

related to elevated blood viscosity and organ dysfunction caused by impeded,

insufficient blood flow.

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> > > > Hypercoagulability can occur after trauma, such as a severe infection, a

car accident or severe emotional stress. Most people eventually recover, but a

minority go on to develop a chronic condition such as fibromyalgia. These

individuals may be suffering from a genetic protein defect that makes them

especially prone to develop the hypercoagulability state that then causes

ischemia in tissues which then leads to chronic fatiguing pain.

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> > > > According to Carol Ann Ryser, M.D., a pediatrician, every cancer patient

in her clinical practice, in has been diagnosed with hypercoagulability. It

appears that cancer cells produce a protein that acts as a pro-coagulant.

Research confirms that cancer patients have an increased incidence of blood

clots, and that low-dose heparin can be a useful adjunct therapy in cancer,

increasing survival. Diabetics and AIDS patients also appear to benefit from

low-dose heparin.

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> > > > Hypercoagulability is also part of the inflammatory response. This

association has not received the full attention it merits. We know that an

excess tendency toward clotting is undesirable, and may indeed be fatal in the

case of heart attacks and strokes. So far, however, not too much has been said

about increased blood viscosity without actual clots, or about fibrin deposition

inside blood vessels of individuals who suffer from chronic hypercoagulability.

Plaque formation may be due to inflammation that turns on the hypercoagulation

which causes the plaque. The inflammation may come from any where...viruses,

bacteria, arthritis, bowel disease...anything that activates the inflammation

cascades then activates a state of hypercoagulability.

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> > > > Hypercoagulability is also promoted by:

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> > > > Genetic protein defect(s) [Protein C / Protein S

> > > > High lipoprotein(a), by blocking fibrinolysis

> > > > High homocysteine (over 10)

> > > > High blood sugar

> > > > High triglycerides

> > > > Eating polyunsaturated fatty acids that metabolize to Thromboxane, an

eicosanoid derivative

> > > > Viruses

> > > > Bacteria

> > > > Chronic conditions that raise hsCRP

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> > > > Altogether, the regulation of coagulation is quite complex, involving

the balance of more than a dozen factors. It takes special tests to establish if

a patient might be deficient in these proteins or shows elevated fibrinogen.

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> > > > Hypercoagulability can be hinted at through the use of the well-known

" sed-rate " blood test. A sed rate of less than 5 indicates hypercoagulability.

It is also suggested by having any of the following chemistry abnormalities:

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> > > > Elevated Lp(a)

> > > > Elevated Homocysteine

> > > > Elevated hsCRP

> > > > Elevated Triglycerides

> > > > Elevated Fibrinogen.

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> > > > The difficulty comes in trying to find out the major factor(s) causing

the condition. Thus the need for additional testing, so that the right factor

can be targeted for treatment. Hemex Laboratories has specialized in testing

for these coagulation defects as well as their causes.

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> > > > Causes can be varied too but virus infections have been singled out as

particularly likely to provoke excess fibrin production. This fibrin accumulates

in certain places, creating a " fibrin block " that impedes blood flow and

deprives a certain area of the body of sufficient oxygen. Dr. Ryser said that

she finds a history of two to six serious infections per every chronic fatigue

patient. There is also suspicion that certain vaccines can act as precipitating

agents for inflammation-induced hypercoagulability (e.g. anthrax vaccine

contaminated with mycoplasma, a suspect in the Gulf War Syndrome).

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> > > > Hypercoagulability can be dramatically improved with the use of low-dose

heparin (a natural anticoagulant, one of several produced by our own body).

Increasing blood flow can quickly clear up conditions such as inflammatory bowel

syndrome, or help certain women avoid repeated miscarriage.

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> > > > Glucosamine is a mild anticoagulant and one of its unexpected benefits

is the prevention of migraines in people with mild hypercoagulability, at a dose

as low as 1,500 mg/d or +3000mg/d. Using safe, mild, natural anticoagulants like

glucosamine adds a useful new technique for migraine prevention.

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> > > > The long-term safety of low-dose heparin administration requires further

research; but for milder cases, and for prevention, we have access to safe

hypocoagulant agents such as fish oil, curcumin (turmeric extract), ginger and

ginkgo.

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> > > > Many AntiAging physicians believe that hypercoagulability, like

inflammation in general, is one of the characteristics of aging. This

acceptance of hypercoagulability represents a " paradigm shift " in our thinking

about disease and aging. Tissue atrophy, seen in aging persons, can be better

understood as being caused by impeded blood flow leading to local ischemia

(oxygen deficiency). Only fifteen seconds of ischemia turns off the

mitochondria. This initiates an apoptosis (programmed cell death) cascade. The

shrinking of our organs with age leads to ever-greater pathology. Loss of heart

tissue eventually results in congestive heart failure. Loss of glandular tissue

results in hormone deficiencies, loss of neural tissue brings on cognitive

dysfunction and eventually senile dementia, loss of lung tissue leads to

emphysema, and so on. This is the atrophy of aging that we see throughout the

body. The new insight is that " ischemia is a silent cause of aging and

degenerative disease. "

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> > > > In order to fight ischemia, we need to keep the blood from getting too

viscous and sluggish, and platelets from clumping too readily. We now see that

various micronutrients are not only antioxidants, but also anticoagulants. Their

great advantage is safety. We know how to counteract various procoagulant

factors naturally:

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> > > > High homocysteine, for instance, can be remedied through the use of

folic acid, B12 and B6

> > > > Inhibit platelet aggregation through use of aspirin, curcumin, ginger

and ginkgo

> > > > Lower fibrinogen with curcumin

> > > > High lipoprotein(a) responds to niacin (or inositol hexanicotinate),

high doses of vitamin C, and the amino acids lysine and proline.

> > > > Maintain a more youthful blood circulation through hormone replacement

and exercise

> > > > Lower blood viscosity with enzymes such as bromelain and Wobenzyme

> > > > Promoting better circulation throught the release of tissue plasminogen

activator (tPA) from the lining of blood vessels with massage

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> > > > Causes of aging in descending order are:

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> > > > Stress = Age-related dysfunction of the hypothalamic-adrenal axis (HPA)

Hypothalamic-adrenal axis governs our neurohormonal response to stress

> > > > Oxidized adrenaline is a free radical

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> > > > Inflammation

> > > > Hypercoagulability

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> > > > Understanding hypercoagulability allows us to reach more patients with

" strange syndromes " that don't seem to respond to any of our " drug " therapies.

Understanding hypercoagulability helps us anti-age....so that our " Golden Years "

are golden. Understanding hypercoagulability gets us closer to the reality of

21st Century Functional Medicine as it should be practiced.

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> > > > If you need help understanding hypercoagulability, please call our

office for an appointment and we will be glad to discuss this possibility with

you.

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